Forgotten Red
by ChertehWriter
Summary: My first attempt at a PokePasta. Yeah, I know it sucks.


My first attempt at a Pokepasta. Yeah, I know it sucks.

I loved my Pokémon Red game when I was younger. I would lock myself in the bathroom at night playing it; I battled trainers, raised my Pokémon to the best, eventually beating the Champion… It was pretty much the light of my life, my childhood. Even when the new games for the Nintendo DS, like Diamond and Pearl, came out, I was still playing with it like no other Pokemon games existed, raising my Charizard Flamewing up to level 99. But then, that winter, it happened… The battery to the Gameboy, and the cartridge died. I had never felt so awful in my entire life; I felt as if my childhood had been stolen from me forever. But, I soon got over it, though I never forgot about it. I put my Gameboy in a small box, which I kept in my closet, right on the top shelf, and only took it out every couple of months, looking at it to reunite with the wonderful memories I had... I tried my hand at other Pokemon games coming out, including Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, and Diamond and Pearl. Every geneation, I hoped they had stopped after 386, but the number of Pokemon kept increasing, soon having over 500. Though I enjoyed the games, this saddened me, for I missed it when I could say that thre were 151 Pokemon... But I didn't let that bother me.

One fateful day; it was during the summer...I had nothing to do with my time. It did not help that I was having yet ANOTHER nostalgic feeling deep within my soul, I both hated and loved that feeling; I chose to go outside; it was a calm 75 degrees out that day. With every game store I passed on the way, I saw ads for the arrival of HeartGold and SoulSilver... I was excited for them myself, to say the very least. About five minutes into my stroll, I came across that one gift shop, the one with the donation area for the neighborhood children with no toys or games... I visited it occasionally, always looking with a smile at the happy youngsters as the took their choosing. That day, I visited it again, still seeing the children, still feeling warm inside. I walked closer to the donation bin, gazing at the arrangement of toy cars and action figures, thinking of how those things were joyous to me as a child, like my Gameboy was.

But, as I looked closer at the toys, I saw it. There was a Gameboy within it. I sighed, remembering my own Gameboy, and I picked it up, not for any particular reason, just to examine its memorable shape and color. There was a cartridge inside of it as well. I exactracted it from the system, wanting to see what game the person who donated left in it... My heart almost stopped when I saw that it was Pokemon Red. I wasn't one to take things from that donation bin, even though it was open to all... But I left, and took the Gameboy with me.

On the way back home, I was hoping that this would give me the same feeling that I received as a little girl. I felt extremely lucky. When I got home, I turned on the Gameboy, waiting for the adventure to begin. But, there was no intro, or even a title screen, but it skipped right into the game. I was in Professor Oak's Lab, but it was not black and white, but brown instead, all of the devices in it were reddish brown, as if they were rusty. There was a white square in the middle of the place, but I didn't bother to examine it. Professor Oak was absent, and so were all of his aides. I decided to take a step outside. It seemed normal, but when I walked around a little, I noticed that it was entirely empty. The little garden with eight flowers in it had no flowers at all. I checked out the signs... I received the same message everytime:

"The words are faded and impossible to read..."

I walked into Blue, my rival's, house, but no one was there. Not Daisy, not Blue, no one. All that was there was a note on the table that said;

"Left for Viridian. I'm not champ anymore, so I've nothing else to do with my life. I'm not coming back. Don't look for me, RED.

-Blue"

I knew that he was now a gym leader in Viridian City now, but I got a bad vibe reading his note. His main goal was to become champion, but I had taken that goal away from him a long time ago. But what else could I do? I hadn't meant any harm; I mean, it was just a game...

I left Blue's house, and went to see if anyone had appeared in the town while I was gone. But even still, there was no one. Not even the technology-loving guy in front of the lab was there. Until I walked into the "hero's house", I thought in had been abandoned. But, then I saw him. It was Red, the supposed Pokémon master. But, how was this so? I was playing as Red as well… He was turned around, facing the wall. He did not move.

I walked over to him, and spoke using the "A" button. He said,

"..."

"I am no longer master…"

I was surprised. Of course he was master. I mean, he had a level 88 Pikachu, for goodness sake. And why was he saying this?

"Look at this."

Then, another screen came up, showing his… Pokedex? It said that he had seen and caught all 151 Pokémon it the region… But the Pokémon were not visible, all being blocked by question marks. I wondered why. I closed the Pokedex. And then, Red said,

"I have failed…

"I once caught all of them… But every year… There is more… And more… And more… I shall never get them all… I have failed…"

"Forgive me, professor, I have failed you… I have crushed your dream… I broke my promise to you…"  
At once, I understood what he was getting at. When I was young, it had burned inside my mind… 151 Pokémon in all… but soon came Johto, and that was fine… Then Hoenn, which was also fine… But then came Sinnoh… I thought to myself, this is it… Right? But, then came Isshu… this was too much. The slogan of Pokémon was "Gotta catch em all!" which had been Red's goal… but he could not possibly do this when word of more showed up…

"I am a failure…"

And he walked out of the house. I followed him, and outside, I found that the house had vanished behind me. I walked down, and saw Red in front of the research lab, which he entered. I went in, too. When I did, I saw that he was in front of the small square, which looked familiar now that I looked closer to it… It was a tombstone.

"I'm so sorry…" Red said. Next to him, there was a Pokémon… I walked up to it, and a battle began.

The Pokémon was a Mewtwo, but the sprite made it look incredibly bitter and helpless. Like it had been shunned and ignored. It was a level 70, like I remembered. But, instead of a battle, it said something:

"I'm…

I'm not the strongest…

I am weak now…

Compared to the new…"

And the "battle" ended. What did Mewtwo mean…? Red turned to me.

"Mewtwo… It is no longer Master either… There are other legendaries as strong, and one stronger than it… We cannot possibly grasp that power… And, I no longer have a rival... After I stole the role of Champion from him, we have never spoken again... And, I doubt he has forgiven me for what I did to his Raticate..."

I knew now. When I was a young girl, Mewtwo was considered the strongest Pokémon in existence, being catchable at a level 70… But now, others could be caught at the same level. And Arceus, the Pokémon named the "god", was catchable at a level 80. Mewtwo's title had pretty much been pushed down. And after defeating Blue, you never battled him again during the story line. Oh... And the Raticate, the one that was missing from Blue's party... I didn't know I'd killed it... I felt horrible.

"I must go…" Red said, beginning to leave.

He turned around one last time to look at me. "What? Where am I going?"

He turned away. "To Mt. Silver… In the cold… That is my Pokémon and I's place now… I can only hope that someone will find me… And maybe challenge me… I've nothing to say anymore." And he walked away, while Mewtwo faded away.

I went up to the tombstone where Red was standing. It read;

**"Here lies Professor Oak… An amazing researcher, and the starter of Pokémon Masters."**

My heart sank. Poor Oak had died, more than likely from old age, considering how old he was back then. He had been buried in his own lab, since he was so devoted to it… And, I was grasping what Red had said, and looking back on other games… how at Mt. Silver, when encountered, he only said,

"…"

This was why… He was so sad… He felt forgotten by the fanbase because of the new ones… And Blue felt forgotten not only because of the new games, but because he wasn't champ anymore. I knew this was not true. Many people talk about how they loved the old Pokémon games, and how it was the light of their life… Like my Red game was. And they also talk about how Blue was a great rival. Which he is. I turned off the game, went back to the gift shop, and put it right back in the bin where I got it. When I went back home, I got out my box, and my Gameboy and Pokémon Red cartridge… I could never forget it. It was, and would always be, the light of my childhood, and Red would always be the Pokémon Master. Oh, and Blue would always be the cocky rival of the Pokemon Master. I will not forget.


End file.
